Mike Nadel: Bears, baseball and blogs

CHICAGO - It's late July, time for Bears training camp and lots of baseball. I wrote about both subjects extensively this past week in my blog, The Baldest Truth.

Mike Nadel

CHICAGO - It's late July, time for Bears training camp and lots of baseball. I wrote about both subjects extensively this past week in my blog, The Baldest Truth.

Here are some excerpts. Read more at www.thebaldesttruth.com.

Receiving Love

Bears fans are flocking to Bourbonnais in huge numbers, and the one guy they seem to love the most: Devin Hester.

And what’s not to love?

While returning an NFL-record six kicks for touchdowns last season (and another in the Super Bowl), he was the most exciting rookie athlete to hit Chicago since Michael Jordan. And now, coach Lovie Smith wisely has turned Hester over to offensive coordinator Ron Turner, who so far in training camp is having fun getting the ultra-quick kid.

Hester is lining up in the slot and catching slant passes. He’s lining up wide and beating defensive backs deep. He’s running reverses. Can Hester pass the football? I’m guessing Turner will find out before the Bears break camp.

Meanwhile, every time Devin touches the football, the fans go wild. During Saturday night’s practice at Ward Field on the Olivet Nazarene campus, Hester actually made a grab while sitting on his keister after slipping. The ensuing ovation was so loud one would have thought he had ridden Evel Knievel’s motorcycle through a ring of fire. The previous day, he caught a short pass and then juked out safety Mike Brown, who could only shrug and shake his head. That drew cheers and laughter from the crowd.

Don’t worry, folks. Hester is still fielding lots of punts and kickoffs. He knows where his bread is buttered. So does Lovie Smith.

Bruised Crew

And playing the part of the classic Cubbie chokers of yore ... the gagging Milwaukee Brewers of 2007!

First, they blew a 6-0 lead in losing the opener of a Saturday double-header in St. Louis. Then, they lost the nightcap to a pitcher who entered the game with an 0-10 record. Finally, the Brewers frittered away a 5-0 lead Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Ace Ben Sheets is hurt, once-perfect closer Francisco Cordero is falling apart and the Brewers must be wondering how they’ll lose next.

Division title? Please. If the Brewers finish the season with a winning record, it will be an upset.

A Bear's Bloomers

While jumping rope along with the rest of the Bears’ quarterbacks, Brian Griese’s shorts fell down to his ankles.

You know, I don’t think that’s what people mean when they say fans can’t get enough of the backup QB.

Change of Heart

“I’ve played my last snap for them,” Lance Briggs said of the Bears a few months ago. “I’ll never play another down for Chicago again.”

Never arrived Wednesday, I guess. That’s when Briggs re-signed with the Bears.

Obviously, Briggs and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, realized the money they’d be sacrificing with a holdout never would have been recouped. And they realized that $7.2 million for one season is not exactly chump change.

So congratulations to Briggs for getting rich and smart on the same day, to the Bears for standing their ground and to Bears fans because they again will have a fun team to watch in 2007.

The Bald List

Five things Lance Briggs considered telling the media Sunday before he decided not to talk:

1. “Seven-point-two million? How am I supposed to feed Latrell Sprewell’s family on that?”

2. “When I said I’d never play for the Bears again, I misquoted myself.”

3. “The fix was in. I mean, how else could Urlacher have had more tackles than me last season?”

4. “When I have kids, I’ll happily let Uncle Tank baby-sit them.”

5. “I love Chicago! Until I leave it forever!”

Well-Earned Fame

A big congratulations to Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., who on Sunday were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It would be difficult to find two classier, harder working, more humble gentlemen in all of sports. They represented our national pastime with pride and passion, and I am honored that I got to cover many games they played.

And a big thank you to the baseball gods for smiling down on fans everywhere Sunday, as Barry Bonds failed to tie Hank Aaron’s HR record. The last thing we needed was for Mr. Bulky to steal the show from true baseball heroes.

Quotable

"I’m a big believer in when you sign your name on the dotted line, it’s more than just playing the game. There’s a responsibility when you put that uniform on to those people who pay to watch you play. You’ve got to make good decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done.” - Tony Gwynn.

“Games were and are important but people, and how you impact them, are most important. Whether you like it or not, as big-leaguers, we are role models. The only question is, will it be positive or will it be negative?” - Cal Ripken Jr.

“If we do about four snaps, that’s more than we did a year ago. So it’s safe to say there will be more shotgun formation.” - Ron Turner.